Birdproofing



Dec. 21, 1948. I J. 5. PELES BIRDPROOEING Filed Q90. 4, 1943 Patented Dec. 21, 1948 U N I BIitnPROOFING Stanley Pele's, Ybik, Application m ster 4, 194s,"seria1No.'512;951 1 has. (or. 2on1) This invention relates tobirglproofing and it has among its objects the-provision ofirnproved devices which can be manufactured morevcheaply and which are better adapted for shipment in compact form,

ec s b p o ng s o en used nvc y, considerable lengths forapplicationon large buildings, the problem of shipment is=generally serious. This problem is aggravated by the usually rigid structures employed which render the birdqproofing cumbersome for packaging and shipment.

Since the wire of which birdproofingismade generally requires joints for, suitable rigidityto maintain the structures employed in operative form, to preventv access of birdsinto relatively small spaces, it has been customary to produce such joints by soldering or spot welding, This has resulted in making birdproofing highly ex.- pensive, because the number of joints involved is very great.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide improved birdproofing which shall avoid the difficulties mentioned and afford structures which are inexpensive to manufacture and which can be shipped in knocked-down form for rapid and easy assembling atv the locationfat which the birdproofing is tobe installed, and without requiring any particular skill in so; doing, the resultant joints beingstrong and durable,

and possessing a rigid or resilient engagement so that the parts are free of vibration and cannot accidentally move to upset the critical spacing employed in preventing birds from allghting on the protected parts of a building.

Another object of the invention isthe' provision of such improved birdproofi'r' g for pigeons, starlings and sparrows. 7

Another object of the invention'is to furnish birdproofing having improved means, whereby it can be secured i,n ,every conceivable location, and in diiicult places, on'narrow ledges, fences andsoon.

Another object of .the invention is to furnish improved birdproofing which can be arranged and rearranged at thebuilding to suitthe varying conditions encountered at different Points along a ledge.

Another object of the invention is, to construct Other objects-and advantages at the; nvent tion will become apparent as the specification proceeds. M

With the aforesaid objectsinviemthe inverse tion consists in the novel combination: and are rangem-ents of parts hereinafter described in, their preferred embociilrnent's,v pointed outin. he subjoinedclaim, and illustrated in, the. annexed, drawin wherein like partsare :dcsisnatedlbv the same, reference characters thr u hout he several views. 4

In the drawing: a F g.1, is a plan vi w showing improved bird pr cflnstacccrdins to the my ti n Fi 2 is a View in side levatio thercot,

, F 3..i.s a p an iewshcwing the ma ner of assemb in the hirdpr cfi ,s.- a

4 is an en arged iew in cle atic with pa t n. sect on and ind tin in t-dash lines he es l ent act on at the jo t to p even v b s= tion. H

."Eis-p-fi is fragm ntary perspective view ci a modifi d birdpr cfinst iF a fis de Vi w of a modification .F- s- 7 is a iew sh ng he mode of assembling the device of'Fi 6. v 1 Fig. 8 s a si e Vi w showing other modificaism Z His 9 s avian. ViE w h parts. cm cdishcw ins a d ice illust a e in modifi d orm in 'H s. l0 a c nt al vertical s ctional View of anoth r modification. t. t

Fig. 11 is av view of a detachable branch wire for. the wires shown in the different modifica,

tions. i l

The advantages of. the invention as here cute lined are bestrealized' when all of. its features. and instrumentalitiesl are combined in one'and theisamestruoture,but, useful devices may be) produced embodying less than (the. Whole.

It. will-.beobvious to those skilled ,in'thei art to whichthe invention appertains,that the same maybe incorporated .in several'dlfferent' con-.5v structions. The. accompanying drawing, there, fore, is. submitted merely as showing the pro-t. ferred exemplifications "of the invention. I Referring in. detail to the. drawing, l5 denotes birdproofing embodying theinvention. The, same may include a track comprising two identioal wires, t6 havingequa'lly spa-cedloops 11 therein arranged to lie in the vertical planes; determined; ypthewirese The ,charactertof each of these loops (is, more clearlyshown. in Fist 4.. ea h oop being. open at the bottcmlsothst the sides. ll of each are adapted to act "resilientlr- Nervmally, the loop is in the condition shown in dotdash lines, and when in use, as in Fig. 1, the loop is in the condition shown in full lines. The lower part of the loop is somewhat constricted to form a neck, and in use this contraction is increased by causing the sides l8 to be bent toward each other. As the wires I6 are relatively thick, say /32 or A; inch stock, the spring action involved is considerable. Intermediate of or adjacent to the ends of the wires IS, the same are formed with anchorage means such as other fastenings for securing the track on a large, fence, or other part of a building. The

extreme end portions of the wires l6 are bent upwardly at 23 to form birdproofing elements as hereinafter described.

4 ing the crosswires to swing clockwise, with the loops springing the track loops I! from the dotdash to the full line position in Fig. 4. When the cross wires are almost at right angles to the track wires, the free wire of the latter is secured permanently in place and the installation is completed. The engagement between loops l1 and 25 is sufficiently snug so as to prevent accidental release in the position of Fig. 3. The crosswires will not tilt laterally, because each loop 25 forms a basesnugly pressed against the track wires. Also the resilient tension prevents any tilting and also avoids vibration, rattling and the like.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modification 26 according to which U-shaped wires similar to those shown at 2|, 22, 23 in the previous figures, can be se cured in place as with only a one wire track.

Supported by the wires i6 is a series of vertical be understood that the wires may all be of the same height according to the birds that frequent the building. While it may be assumed that the 6 inch Wires should keep away the smaller as well as larger birds, yet in practice a smaller bird might be able to alight between the Wires, a result it could less easily accomplish if the wires were shorter so that their upper ends or points are more immediately adjacent to the bird for obstructing and rendering its movements uncomfortable. The use of shorter and longer wires thus represents a compromise in endeavoring to furnish birdproofing for birds of different varieties common in urban areas, especially as it has been observed that even the shorter wires will often discourage the larger birds.

' Each of the wires 2|, 22 and 23 may have a base portion 24 that may be straight or curved, provided with a pair of identical loops 25 lying in generally horizontal planes. These loops are formed by simple turns of wire, the stiffness and strength of the wire being relied upon to maintain the operative shape of the loops. A novel feature of the loops is that they have a greater dimension transversely of the track than longitudinally thereof, to facilitate assembling of the birdproofing as hereinafter described. The track loops I] extend upward through the loops 25 so as to engage at the contracted portion thereof as in Fig. 4. Hence, the track loops form heads interlocked with the loops 25 to prevent removal of the wires 2i, 22 and 23. Further, the track loops are under resilient tension, as they tend to expand, and thus -to snugly hold the wires 2 l, 22, 23 .without any possible vibration. The space protected by these wires is closed at its ends by the track wire portions 20.

i For installing the birdproofing the track wires 16 may be cut to suitable lengths or shipped in coil form. These wires are laid on a ledge and only one of them is secured at its ends as at l9 in Fig. 3. Then the crosswires 2|, 22 and 23 are applied so that their loops 25 receive the track loops I1 diagonally to afford the necessary space or clearance. Finally, the free track wire, being the uppenone in Fig. 3 is pulled rightward, caus- This is often desirable as on rather narrow ledges, or on ledges which are of special shape or construction. Then again, a single wire track can be secured to awall of a building. at the ledge, in the event that securing holes may not be driven into the ledge. The track wire 21 is formed with a loop 28 twisted at its base as at 29 and bent at 30 into the form of an approximately horizontal U. A series of identical spaced loops '28 may be provided, and the wire 21 may have securing eyes or anchorages as at 3|. A

vertical U-shaped wire 32 has a corner portion 33 diagonally downwardly bent from the finger 34 and base 35, the latter being upwardly inclined as shown. The finger 34 lies in the bight portion of loop 23,-the base 35 also enters the loop 28 at the bend 30, and the loop 33 embraces or receives the twist at 29 with the arms 36, 31 of loop 33 lying respectively between the sides of the loop 28 and between the bends at 38 formed in making the twist. As the loop 28 is closed at its ends, it forms a resilient clamp snugly engaging the finger 34v and the base 35, and in cooperation with the engagement at. 36 and 38, prevents any lateral angular movement of the wire'32 and avoidsvibration. The base 39 on which wire 32 rests holds the same in the engagement with-the loop 28 as shown.

3 Device 26 may be assembled by first inserting the finger 34 of each member 32 upward through loop 28 at the bight of the latter and causing loop 33 to receive the twist 29 while the arm 36 enters loop 28 as the member 32 is moved upward with a counterclockwise tilting motion. The member 32 may be easily removed by movement in an opposite direction. 4

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown a device 40 wherein a series of generally U- or V-shaped wires 4i having central base loops 42 are secured by any screw 43 passing through these loops and through a support 44 for engagement by a tensioning nut 45. With the device 43, any number of wires 4| may be applied for a single fastening. Further the wires may be swiveled before the bolt is tightened, to vary the spacing between their fingers as may be required by the proximity of the building wall or its ornaments.

In Fig. 8 is shown a device 46 whereby a series of units such as 40 can be'mounted without requiring individual fastening to the building itself. Thus a support such as'a wire 41 is formed with a series of equally spaced anchorage loops 48, and with end loops 49 for receiving screws or bolts 50 for fastening the wire to a building or the like. -Mounted on the'several loops are the different devices. Of these, the device 56 is like that at 40, and the device 55 ismore particularly shownin Fig. 9, while thedevlce 52 is more-particularly shown as 18 in modified form in Fig. 10. Of the others, the device may include a bar or tube 58 to which the wires 59 are secured in any suitable manner, as by being press fitted thereinto, a screw 59a passing through the eye or loop 48 to engage in a central threaded bore of the member 58. In the device 52, a tube 69 may receive the ends of wires 6|, a screw 62 passing completely through the tube and the eye 48 for engagement by a nut 63, the wires 6| being retained in any suitable manner by soldering or welding to the tube or by being clamped therein by the screw 62. In the device 53, a head 64 may have an undercut threaded portion 65 which is forcibly engaged with loop 48 to cut a thread therein. The wires 65 may be engaged with member 64 in any manner herein indicated. In the device 54, a soft metal tapered head 61 in which the ends of wires 68 may be embedded, is secured to loop 48 by being pressed thereinto, the coil of the loop affording a thread-like engagement. The device 55 may include a plate 69 having initially open ended slots H1 at its ends to freely receive the bight portions of U or V-shaped wires 1| after which the end portions of the plate 69 are deformed by compression to permanently grip the wires. To facilitate the deformation, weakening notches 12 may be provided in the plate. A central hole 13 provides for a screw 9| to pass through loop 48 on which the plate 69 rests, a nut engaging the screw to clamp the plate to the loop. The device 56 (Fig. 8) is difierent from that at 40 (Fig. 6), in having a greater flare or divergence in its Wires.

In the device 16 (Fig. a ring or short tube 11 receives the end portions of wires such as 18,

19, a screw 80 having a tapered head 8| cooperating with the tube to afford a seating and clamping engagement for the Wires. The screw passes through a washer 82 and is tensioned by a nut 83, and passes thence through a support 84 to which it is secured by a nut 85. If desired, the conoidal head 8| may have different tapers or may be grooved as at 86 so as to positively separate the wires or to secure the same at different angles. If desired, the wire 18 may be bent at any desired angle. The wires 18, '19 may have their upper ends bent as at 86a, 81 so as to avoid any possible injury to birds. All other wires herein shown may be similarly bent at their upper ends. By the use of a head such as 8|, different numbers, sizes and shapes of wires can be quickly arranged to form a single compact unit, with the wires flared to cover a substantial area.

All of the devices 40 and 5| to 56 and I6 illustrate a principle of the invention residing in the 5 provision of separate elements or units that can be compactly shipped and arranged at the place of installation, so as to be assembled and secured rapidly and easily. These. devices have the further advantage of affording a substantial density of wires which may extend toward each other to reliably protect the adjoining area against birds. Also in these devices, the various wires can be rearranged at different angles and directions, and if necessary, bent to suit.

In Fig. 11 is shown a device 90 constituting a branch wire having a loop or coil 9| of one or more turns adapted to be sleeved over any of the upright wires herein shown, such as a wire of the device 55, with the loop resting on a base or anchorage portion such as that at 69. In other words, the loop 9| snugly engages a wire 20, 2|, 22, 23, 32, 34, 4|, "I8, 19 or the like so that the wire 90 is held upright at a desired angle. If necessary, the loop can be pinched to clampingly engage its supporting wire. A large number of such wires 90 may be applied to each of the devices herein shown, giving the efiect of sprays. The wires 99 may, of course, be soldered or welded to their supporting wires, but a very substantial advantage is obtained by the use of the loops 9|. Thus a box of wires 90 can be shipped to the point of installation, and the wires 99 readily engaged at various places with different densities and arrangements, as at corners, or wider ledge portions, as may be necessary. Hence a standard or stock birdproofing can be employed modified by the wires 99 to suit.

I claim:

Birdproofing including a series of free ended wires of such height and spacing as to prevent birds from roosting therebetween, a tubular member, an axial bolt in the member affording a continuous annular space therebetween and having a conoidal head partly above the member, said wires being angularly spaced with their lower free ends extending into the member between the upper edge of the member and the conoidal head of the bolt to form an upwardly divergent group, and means for tensioning the bolt to secure the wires.

JULIUS STANLEY PELES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

